Max Rooke

Max Rooke
Max Rooke in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Jarad Maxwell Rooke
Date of birth	19 December 1981 (1981-12-19) (age 29)
Place of birth	Victoria, Australia
Original team	Casterton
Height/Weight	189 cm / 93 kg
Position(s)	Utility
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2002 – 2010	Geelong	135 (58)
1 Playing statistics to end of 2010 season .

Max Rooke (born Jarad Maxwell Rooke on 19 December 1981) is a retired Australian rules footballer, who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A utility player, 1.89 metres (6.2 ft) tall and weighing 93 kilograms (210 lb), Rooke's versatility allowed him to play as a forward, defender, and midfielder.

Rooke made his AFL debut in 2002, and was awarded the 2003 Geelong Football Club Most Determined & Dedicated Player Award. He went on to become a dual premiership player with the club, playing key roles in both the 2007 and 2009 Grand Final victories. Rooke also won two NAB Cups and two McClelland Trophies with Geelong.

AFL career

Rooke was recruited from Casterton in 2001, and made his debut in the second round of 2002. He was a regular senior player until a shin injury forced him to miss the second half of 2004, including the finals series, but recovered to play all but one game in 2005.

His lack of pace against small forwards was exposed in Round 20, 2005 when Melbourne's Russell Robertson kicked seven goals against him. This prompted coach Mark Thompson to move him into the midfield the following week. This move was successful, with Rooke nullifying champion midfielder Chris Judd. In Geelong's close loss to the Sydney Swans in the Elimination Finals, Rooke amassed a remarkable fifteen tackles.

Rooke missed out on most of the 2007 season after suffering a potential season-ending 7 cm hamstring tear in Round 13.^[1] On July 12, Geelong spent $20,000 on Rooke to receive treatment by soft-tissue expert Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth in Germany.^[1] He returned to the side in the 106-point Qualifying Final win against Kangaroos, after key defender Matthew Egan suffered a season-ending foot injury.^[1]

On the 13th of October 2010, Rooke announced his retirement from AFL football. He cited an acute knee injury which kept him out for most of the 2010 Home and Away season.^[2]

Rooke will be returning to the Geelong Footbal Club in 2011 as part of their coaching staff.

Personal life

In November 2006, Rooke made the decision to officially change his legal name to Max. Rooke's middle name at birth was Maxwell and both his grandfathers were known as Max, which led to a fondness of the name as the main reason behind the change. He also sported a new wild 1970's hairstyle and beard.^[3] Rooke will be known by the new name in all official AFL records from the 2007 season onwards, in the same vein of the Western Bulldog's Brian Lake's name change from his original "Brian Harris".

Rooke has a daughter named Evie Willow, born in 2010, with partner Olivia Peron.

Statistics

Statistics are correct as of end of 2009 season (December 31, 2009)

Season	Team	No.	Games	Goals	Behinds	Kicks	Marks	Handballs	Disposals
2002	Geelong	33	15	1	0	93	37	69	162
2003	Geelong	33	18	3	3	134	74	103	237
2004	Geelong	33	11	0	1	51	38	47	98
2005	Geelong	33	23	3	1	131	88	129	260
2006	Geelong	33	17	8	1	114	62	121	235
2007	Geelong	33	8	6	3	38	26	45	83
2008	Geelong	33	20	13	4	113	84	156	269
2009	Geelong	33	22	24	15	135	97	108	243
Totals			134	58	28	809	506	778	1587

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Anderson, Jon (4 September 2007). "Rooke back for Egan". Herald Sun (News Limited). http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22357887-20322,00.html. Retrieved 2007-09-19. 
2. ^ http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/104105/default.aspx
3. ^ Geoff McClure, The new name is Max says copy Cat Rooke, The Age, November 23, 2006.

External links

• Max Rooke's profile on the Official AFL Website of the Geelong Football Club
• Max Rooke's statistics from AFL Tables

Persondata
Name	Rooke, Jarad
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 December 1981
Place of birth	Victoria, Australia
Date of death
Place of death